Post on 09-Oct-2020
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Care & Advice Sheet
Inspiration for your Home & Garden
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Chessington Garden CentreLeatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2NG
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YemenChameleon
If you require any further information, please ask our pet care advisors who will be very happy to help.
Yemen Chameleon
Yemen chameleons are a large species of
chameleon. Providing the setup is correct, they are
easy reptiles to care for. They do change their colour
however; it is not to match their surroundings. They
are green in colouration with some yellow and blues
and the colours change depending on their mood.
Darker shades mean they are unhappy and brighter
shades mean they are happy and comfortable. They
are best kept solitary unless used for breeding
purposes. Groups can only have one male and will
require a very large enclosure.
Other names include the veiled chameleon.
GlossaryReptile - A cold-blooded vertebrate with scaly skin.
Amphibian - A cold-blooded vertebrate that begins life
as an aquatic animal and grows into a terrestrial adult
with lungs.
Terrestrial - A ground dwelling animal.
Arboreal - An animal that lives in trees.
Diurnal - Awake in the day.
Nocturnal- Awake during the night.
UVB - Ultraviolet radiaton.
Colubrid - A family of snakes.
Hybrid - Offspring from animals of different species.
Morph - Colourations created due to genetics.
Musk - Unpleasant odour released when an animal is
stressed or feels threatened.
Live plants are only available on special order
Size & Housing
Adult yemen chameleons grow to a total length of
around 50cm. They are arboreal lizards and require
large, tall enclosures made out of glass or wood.
Specially designed front opening reptile tanks are
recommended such as the Exo Terra or Komodo:
60 x 90 x 60cm / 24 x 36 x 24” – Minimum for 1 Adult
Other designs that allow for excellent ventilation are the
reptibreeze mesh enclosures. These come in a variety of
sizes but can struggle to maintain the correct
temperature if the general area is not warm.
Substrate & FurnishingsNewspaper and kitchen towel can be used as they
are easy to replace. For a more natural enclosure
and to aid humidity, options include humus bricks,
coco fibre, rainforest bark or cypress mulch. Plenty of
branches, cork bark and live or artificial plants should
be provided to create climbing and hiding places.
Spot pick the enclosure daily and full clean once or
twice a month using a reptile specific disinfectant.
Please Note - Not all live plants are reptile friendly.
Lighting & Temperature
Provide essential UVB (5, 10 or 12%) to create a
daytime cycle of 10-12 hours a day. This will also help
bring out the colours of your chameleon. This is best
controlled by a timer. They are most comfortable with
an ambient temperature around 24-32°C and a
basking hot spot of 32-35°C. This can be achieved by
using a heat bulb or a ceramic heat emitter with a
guard controlled by a thermostat at all times. At
night, the temperature can drop between 19-24°C.
Food & WaterYemen chameleons should eat a mixture of live
food and salad such as:
Many do not realise but the salad is needed in
their diet and helps to enhance their colours.
Insects should be gut loaded before feeding. Dust
the insects with a calcium supplement 3 times a
week and once a week with a multivitamin
(Nutrobal).
Fresh water should be offered daily. The enclosure
should be misted at least 2-3 times a day for
them to drink from as they need a low to medium
humidity.
HandlingThese chameleons are great for handling. Young
chameleons may be stressed but should calm
down within a minute or two when handling.
Hand feeding is recommended so they get used
to you but they should become confident with
handling over time.
Mealworms
Waxworms (treat)
Rocket
Locusts
Crickets
Roaches
Grated carrot